Farmers, residing in the watersheds, are familiar with indigenous conservation and plantation activities such as grasses, bushes, shrubs, native trees and terracing. In addition, trash line, cover crops, crop rotation, alley cropping, intercropping, mixed cropping and other agronomic practices are the common conventional practices. On the other hand, governmental and non-governmental organizations have introduced modern conservation measures and innovations such as soil bund, stone bund, cut-off drain, waterway, check dam, area closure and exotic plant species (for instance sesbania, pigeon peas, grevillea, vetiver grass, Acacia spp., elephant grass, eucalyptus, and others). Moreover, households have adopted different crop varieties (such as wheat) and improved dairy cows. Thus, crop production, animal husbandry, agro-forestry, growing animal feed and conservation measures are integrated interventions in the watersheds. Tree and shrub species can be integrated in the crop-livestock farming systems [12].

Many watersheds and landscapes throughout the world are under increased pressure from human activities of all types [13]. Likewise, the population density in Tsegur and Kanat micro-watersheds is about 300 persons/km² with declining trends of land holding sizes. Prior to conservation interventions, lands in the watershed were seriously degraded due to high population pressure, crop-livestock competitions for land resources and continuous farming without fallowing. Population growth and intensive production combined with increasing needs for fuel and forage resulted in land degradation. Thus, integrated watershed management was planned and put into action. Among several interventions, check dam is the best practice implemented using various materials and construction designs. In these areas, soil erosion is very severe so that deep gullies are reclaimed. Farmers were supported by NGO’s (like German technical cooperation-GTZ) and constructed check dams with brushwood, stone, grass, gabion and cement depending on the slope of the catchment, depth of the gullies, availability of construction materials, run-off flow, and cost of investment. Check dam reduced the velocity of run-off and trap eroded soils [14]. Biophysical conservation practices also used to dispose run-off safely, harvest or retain water, reduce slope of the topography, enhance fertility of the soil, increase biomass and provide multi-purpose species for human food, animal feed and soil fertility.

Formal and informal institutions should be strengthened through bylaws, regulations, and legislations. On top of this, land certification can enhance land tenure security for long-term land-use systems so that implemented conservation practices and integrated farm activities will be sustainable. Different stakeholders, development partners and practitioners in the field of agriculture should support farming communities on livestock management, maintenance of conservation measures and adoption of environmental responsive technologies.

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